Predictors of Longevity of United States Presidents

Abstract

Average life span was unusually long for ten presidents of the United States who were politically affiliated with the preceding president. Average life span was reliably shorter for twelve presidents who were political opponents of the predecessor and for eight presidents who attained that office by finishing the terms of their predecessors. Presidents with the same first names as their fathers also were more likely to be politically affiliated with the predecessors and to have long lives. Most of the other presidents not named after their fathers had brothers who were given their fathers' first names. A possible interpretation is that identification with authority figures, such as the father and the preceding president, counteracts the unusual stresses that shorten the lives of the majority of the presidents of the United States.